But the mountain bikers aren't caroming along a trail in the Berks countryside, zipping downhill along a rough, rocky single-track or dodging trees on a mountainside.

They're indoors, sitting at a long, wooden table at Oakbrook Brewing Co., some of them eating, some with a freshly poured brew before them, immersed in a presentation on the screen before them.

What they're shredding is data: about local trails, facilities, accessibility, non-cycling entertainment and more. They're going over this point by point, comparing it to other mountain biking areas recognized by the International Mountain Bicycling Association, of which the Berks Area Mountain Biking Association is a member.

And the efforts of this ad hoc committee could have a big impact on Berks.

That's because the roughly dozen people in attendance on a mid-December night are determined to upgrade the status of greater Reading as a formally designated ride center, a destination for mountain bikers.

Currently, the Internation Mountain Bicycling Association has given greater Reading, which includes areas in the county as far away as Blue Marsh and French Creek, a bronze rating as a ride center.

The BAMBA crew, fussing and discussing over minutiae about the ratings, has been working since last year to boost that to a silver rating. They plan to wrap up the project later this year.

As Fred Moreadith, public relations person for BAMBA and de facto leader for this particular effort, points out, the upgrade would benefit the city and county, attracting more riders from outside the area, who will spend money in Berks on lodging, food, entertainment and other purchases.

“We're already bringing more people to Berks,” Moreadith said.

Citing data

Citing data from a mobile phone app used by mountain bikers, Trailforks, he said, “Literally thousands of people are coming to Berks for this type of activity that didn't know about it five years ago.”

Why?

Moreadith credits Greater Reading's IMBA ride center status, the app “and when one person knows and spreads the word” — i.e., greater Reading is a great destination because of its opportunities to ride and the other amenities available to visitors.

Cycling-friendly businesses have benefited especially from this, Moreadith said, pointing to Canal Street Pub and Oakbrook Brewing Co., which are located close to the Thun Trail and accessible from Mount Penn and Neversink Mountain preserves, both popular MTB (mountain biking) destinations.

Mitch Raczy, another member of the committee, said: “We're trying to promote with the ride center re-evaluation that this is an urban area. Most of those you see in ride centers are in mountains, remote areas.”

That can mean driving many hours to get there, Raczy said, as opposed to just a few minutes from Reading or one of its suburbs.

He remembers Moreadith pointing out another advantage: that one can explore in the Greater Reading area without the fear of being lost in the wilderness.

“Here, it's not like the bears are going to get you,” he said. “You can get to a road in 10 minutes.”

Attitude inspires

The attitude that the off-road cyclists share for greater Reading also inspires him.

“Everybody is enthusiastic,” he said. “Everybody wants to help, to make it better. Everybody is really proud of the area.

“That's refreshing. You hear negative stuff about Reading, and then you hang out with these mountain bikers and they say, 'What a great place to live.' ”

The ride center upgrade is an ambitious project, one of several, but the group has a strong record of accomplishment.

Just in 2018, BAMBA has checked off an impressive list of goals. The following, condensed from its website, speaks to their accomplishments:

Maintain bike trails on Mount Penn and Neversink Mountain as well as the Schuylkill River Trail and Schuylkill River Greenway trails, and assist rangers at Blue Marsh and French Creek in trail maintenance.

Assist local bike shops in organizing and conducting Bike Demo Day events.

Conduct organized rides to introduce new riders to mountain biking, i.e., an eight-week introduction to mountain biking course, meeting once a week, held in the spring and the fall.

Conduct mountain biking kids events: Take Your Kid Mountain Biking, a Kids Bike Rodeo and a kids ride in conjunction with Blue Marsh Get Outdoors Day, all successful and well-attended.